Budget Wedding Tips from Lena!

There are some things in life that you just wouldn’t think of buying second-hand. However, it seems that there is a growing number of sites that specialize in used wedding gowns. I don’t know if it is for me, but when you’re on a tight budget, spending $2000 is certainly a lot of money. Plus, designer gowns cost even more! I stumbled upon several sites that offer used gowns sold by brides themeselves besides the obvious eBay:

PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com

Woreitonce.com

Savethedress.com

Bridetobrideboutique.com

I also think this is a good article about how to buy a used wedding gown:

How to Buy a Used Wedding Dress

I’m totally surprised that you can get these lovely dresses through Amazon.com. SO budget-friendly

I was thinking the other day about how there are so many beautiful cocktail dresses out there and it totally made sense to me that they can make wonderful bridesmaid attire. For the most part, many of these dresses are available at a much cheaper price and you can wear it over and over again. I found this great article that talks about dresses for less $100. Practical, I say. Here is the link: http://fashion.about.com/od/specialoccasions/tp/formals100.htm

Moreover, many retailers are now offering great discounts, since times are bad and Christmas is just around the corner. So, you should be able to find some good deals out there.

I just love this purple dress from Target. So elegant as a bridesmaid’s dress and cheap, too!

I was watching tv the other day and saw this commercial for a big gown sale that is going on at David’s Bridal until the 14th of January.

Check out Dahlia’s funny writeup about buying wedding gowns. You may also want to look for plus-size wedding gown buying tips from iVillage. If you are wearing a gown that is anything beyond a size 10, it can be quite challenging to find the right dress that can still look flatteirng and beautiful to wear. Anyways, I love this article from iVillage as it provides some simple ways of buying a gown that wasn’t made for a pea. In my opinion, the hardest part about buying a plus-size gown is that the styles you find are often strapless and off the shoulder. For this reason, I think you can still wear these types of gowns without feeling too self-conscious about your shoulders by putting a pretty wrap or wedding shawl. You can also find a capelet or bolero jacket. A fake fur or crocheted stole is also a nice accessory to use.

When shopping for a wedding gown, a great way of saving on the gown is by buying them at bridal boutiques offering a “sample sale”. Many of these gown are from top designers and if you are lucky enough, you may be able to get one at a bargain price. As an example, check out the sample sale at Hitched Salon.

I read about “trashing your dress” via Dahlia’s blog. This is my take on it as some brides look at it as a liberating moment from all the stresses of wedding planning. You can look at it this way, but you can also look at it as a form of extreme wedding photographer. A pitch that has made its way as a new way to showcase and archive one’s wedding memories. Since each bride has the right to do whatever they want with their gown, it does look like a complete waste considering how much time and money it can take to buy a nice gown. When money is tight on a budget, it becomes even more painful to see a bride just ruin her dress by getting it wet or dirty. You can apply the same thought to burning your bouquet, or throwing pieces of your wedding cake at each other (i.e., food fight). It’s all a personal thing. Some people don’t like it because a gown is sacred, while others see it as it’s my dress and I’ll do anything I want with it. For me, if I want to document my wedding day, I wouldn’t want to ruin my dress simply because there might be a chance one day that I’d want to sell it on eBay, or keep it as an heirloom for my daughter (i.e., future).

JC Penney – you’d never think that they carry wedding gowns, but I was just as surprised as many. When on a very tight wedding budget, finding an affordable gown is often a challenge. I particularly like their dresses because of their modern and elegant styles. Some that caught my eye:

Wedding Dress with Shawl $120.00

Embroidered Charmeuse Dress $99.99

Triple-Bustle Wedding Dress $200.00

Via Dahlia’s Day – you can now find wedding gowns at Target.